Nhж`wiy
Nhж`wiy (pronunciation: /Nuh.shut.wii/) is the blanket term used to refer to the core belief and many million derivative practices of the native religion of the Ecclesiarchal Dominion of Empyrion. Nhж`wiy is a religion instilled deeply within the foundations of Dominish Socialism, placing highly the values of competence, egalitarianism and humanism whilst condemning needless violence, self-desire and other aspects that violate community and equality. Its very nature is threatened from the decadent behaviour of the Ecclesiarchs of recent decades, the steep rise of religious extremism in non-accepted sects and cults, and the religious crusades of the militant Church of Anglish Orthodox peering over the southern galactic fringe. Etymology An ancient Dominish word, "Nhж`wiy" is a slightly masculine and poetic-form word that finds its roots in the Voovian word "Nhж`wѥ", which shares the same pronunciation. The two words that form the combined word "Nhж`wiy" are difficult to succinctly translate into Advanced Anglisc. Its official translation is simply "Orion Orthodox" or sometimes "Empyrian Orthodox", however this translation is completely void of all original meaning. The first part of the word, Nhж, roughly translates to the Anglian word "soul", but is viewed within the perspective of a "divine soul", the soul or "fabric" of the very stars and the universe itself, of which the collective consciousness of the human race and all other living creatures are an irrevocable part of. The second word, Wiy, is a poetic form of the word "Wy", which translates to "life" or "organisms". As it is presented poetically, the meaning of the word is heightened to give it strong feeling similar to that of the phrase "all life, family, culture and their many generations of ancestors together as one". Conclusively, the word Nhж`wiy can at the very least have a capsule translation of: "The fabric of the universe made up from the unified practices, culture and genetic descent of all living organisms". This word is is used in noun form (Yѡi Nhж`wiy), therefore there is a further assumed meaning implying it as "the teachings of" or "the way of". If Nhж`wiy were to be used as a verb (Ѡio Nhж`wiy), it would instead imply its definition as a current occurrence, translating instead to (in capsule form) "The fabric of the universe is made up from and perpetuated by the unified practices, culture and genetic descent of all living organisms". World-view Model Deities There exist several kinds of deities, associated supernatural forces and entities within the religion. Atop the spiritual hierarchy are three native mother goddesses that are roughly equivalent in depicted power and deserved reverence as the Anglish Orthodox God. They are: *'Xho`wiy' (/Khoe.wii/; lit. Life god/goddess), the original Voonis mother of reality, matter, life and consciousness. Her essence is associated with the feelings of love, passion and happiness. The blueness of an oxygenated sky and the blue glint of space are said to indicate her presence. *'Velkhwiy' (/Fel.khwii/), the original Empyrian god. A goddess (or sometimes androgynous being) formed from the essence of stars, it sacrifices its body to birth all matter; forming nebulae, planets, black holes, and in direct circumstance liveable worlds and life itself. *'Nikhtush`waiy' (/Niikh.too.shuh.way.ii/) Wilushan goddess. Formed from the minds and emotions of humanity, its very essence and will is comprised from and directs the Dominish civilisation and its prosperity and/or depravity, with the quality of life being directly proportional to how pleased the goddess is with its creations. Often depicted as a particularly cruel deity, its worship and cultural prevalence has diminished in recent decades. In modern religions, depending on the sect, the goddesses are either all entities of one another or separate triplet goddesses within their own right, bearing the majority of similarities with Xho'wiy and Velkhwiy. The term Xho`iѵun is often used to represent this unified deity in the newer and less conservative religions. File:VoonisTribal2.png|Southern Voonis textile depicting the spirit of a child's father File:EmpyriaTribal.png|Richly decorated ceremonial mask from central Empyria. Variant often decorated with rope beards. These masks can take many forms, including mythical beetles, fish, birds, cattle and other various spirits. FlagNakon.png|Nikhtush`waiy, as depicted on the provincial flag of Nakon Cycle of Existence Nhж`wiy's model of the universe views every single living organism as existing upon equal grounds of entitlement, all forming part of the "fabric" or biomass of life. It teaches that the aspect of life, consciousness and memory is a hereditary aspect that manifests itself in two things after the organism's death: Physical objects that the organism used most in their life (e.g. Pendants, photos, books, musical instruments, weapons, and so fourth), and the genetic material of its children. Essentially, this means all life reincarnates after death as their own children. The life of an organism is divided up into four stages: Upbringing, Reproduction, Death and Rebirth. An organism's consciousness and ability of generating new thought and emotion is what defines its existence. Enacment of productivity and beneficial work towards kin, civilisation and fellow living creatures is the very meaning of life. The first phase of existence emphasises this. Children and young adults are constantly taught to seek knowledge, to learn, to develop skills, to succeed, and to help and benefit others. The second phase is the period of time where an organism begins the slow process of reincarnation, as their life force is reborn and distributed amongst its children. From a scientific perspective, this quite closely mirrors actual genetic descent, and somewhat accurately explains why personality, behavioural and visual traits of children (especially humans) are similar to their parents. This phase is hence defined by: finding love, reproducing and building a family - where a supposed quarter of a person's life force (often described as the dormant quarter) is passed on. After death, an organism's body becomes an empty vessel, as they transcend physical reality to enter the third phase of existence. With all useful genetic material and life force existing now as other life forms, the spirit of the deceased organism imprints itself upon everything it touched and was associated with, with the most life force manifesting in their most useful and/or favourite objects. The potency of a spirit's presence is heightened by a lesser number of objects, often meaning that wealthier followers of the religion should either donate portions of their assets to the less fortunate before death, or should simply invest in living a frugal existence, lest they risk living a weakly experienced afterlife. This teaching heightens the significance of preserving the memory of ancestors, teaching the unimportance of needless objects, and also provides value in sentimentalism. The fourth and final phase of an organism's life is the steps its children take towards achieving their first phase of existence. If a being does not have children, then its essence must still be dispersed. Ceremonies such as sky burials or cremation and dispersion into soil so that an organism can become food - and eventually genetic material - for other forms of life typically manage this. Often however, to promote maximum adherence to the spiritual cycle, many bearers of children still wish to be buried in this manner so that they can benefit as many life forms as possible. The spirit of the deceased is then attached to the physical world through their bound object, and lives a fulfilling eternity at rest. Often, a spirit may be called upon to help in times of strife through rituals and prayer, and can even be capable of summoning itself if it detects danger, however a spirit can only exist in the afterlife and physical world simultaneously if their memory is preserved by its descendants, lest it ceases existence and is lost to the stars forever. The reincarnation cycle is not only encouraged for an individual's satisfaction after death, but is taught as thing that must occur for the benefit of the entire community, for the cycle can only continue if fuelled by constant death, genetic dispersion and rebirth, much like a river that powers a watermill. File:FlagNжwiy.png|Flag of the Nhж`wiy Religion, often used in place of the Standard of the Ecclesiarchy. Category:Religion Category:Empyrion